Rethink Retail

Top Retail Expert Joshua Rockoff was joined by Yuliya Samsonava from EPAM and Vic Miles from Microsoft onsite at Shoptalk Spring to explore how agentic AI is being applied within luxury retail. In this episode, we dive into connecting data across systems, supporting decision-making in real time, and elevating the role of store associates. RETAILERS WILL GAIN INSIGHTS INTO:

If your digital team and your store team are arguing over attribution, you don't have a measurement problem. You have a customer problem. Most retailers still treat stores like isolated P&Ls—judged on what happens inside four walls. But something else happens the moment a store opens: Search spikes. Traffic shifts. Conversion improves—everywhere. On the ground with Courtney Hawkins of Mejuri, we got into why the real metric isn't store revenue. It’s market-level impact. HERE'S THE SHIFT:

Most retail AI isn't solving problems; it's hiding them. The industry is currently addicted to "overlays"—cheap, automated layers that promise instant compliance—but building on a mask is just waiting for the legal or operational consequences to catch up. At Shoptalk, Gustavo Cardona, VP of Technology at Levain Bakery, joined us to dismantle the "plug-and-play" fallacy. For a brand scaling from a neighborhood bakery to a national powerhouse, technology isn't a silver bullet—it's a foundation. Cardona's playbook rejects "set-it-and-forget-it" tools in favor of code remediation (fixing the source, not the surface) and API flexibility. By integrating eight source systems into one "cent-perfect" data warehouse, Levain Bakery transformed tech from a cost center into a strategic engine. THE KEY UNLOCKS:

The Central Nervous System: Rewiring Retail with Modular Architecture Diebold Nixdorf and Kitestring explain how modular architecture serves as the foundation for resilience. Guests Bernd Kraus and Eugene Park move beyond the "rip and replace" mentality to show how retailers can modernize while keeping the lights on. Core Insights: - By separating hardware from software, retailers gain the freedom to innovate on the storefront without waiting for a hardware refresh cycle. - Store uptime is non-negotiable. The challenge is balancing the rapid "sprint" culture of e-commerce with the enterprise-grade reliability required for brick-and-mortar operations. - From EV charging to third-party delivery, retailers are losing visibility into the customer journey. A modular backend is the only way to unify these disparate data points into a single, loyal experience. The Bottom Line: A future-proof system does not exist. What exists is an agile system that allows you to say yes to the unpredictable.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) gave brands control over experience, data, and customer relationships. As brands grow, that model alone becomes limiting. This episode explores how brands move from subscription-based models into retail and multi-channel strategies — and what changes when products leave controlled environments and enter broader distribution. Podcast Overview Fritz Finlay is joined by Reba Hatcher, Chief Commercial Officer at ButcherBox, and Jennifer Cline, CMO of SubSummit. Together, they discuss the transition from DTC to retail, focusing on how brands scale while maintaining consistency across channels. Key Topics Covered - Why DTC alone is no longer sufficient for growth - How brands transition from subscription to retail - The trade-offs between control, scale, and visibility - What changes in product positioning, messaging, and packaging - Operational challenges of multi-channel expansion - How DTC and retail strategies can work together About SubSummit This episode is part of SubSummit (May 1

Most retailers are still optimizing for a world where a human types a keyword into a bar. But at Hanna Andersson, Matt Ezyk is architecting for a reality where AI agents browse and filter on behalf of the consumer. In this episode, we discuss the architectural survival of brand identity in a decentralized world. - The Bilingual Storefront: LLMs crave data density (fit, texture, origin) that ruins human UX. Use "Accordion" Architecture to hide technical metadata from the human "dopamine hit" while keeping it readable for the bots that control discovery. - LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization): Your brand identity is being reconstructed by AI using Reddit and training data. To stay relevant, return to the basics of structured data to ensure the machine treats your quality as a fact, not a slogan. - The Intuition Guardrail: AI is a rearview mirror. It fails at "newness." Human merchandising "hunches" are the only way to signal relevance for new collections that lack historical data. The Bottom Line: In 202

What if the real problem with AI in retail isn’t intelligence—but expertise? Recorded live at Shoptalk Spring in Las Vegas, this conversation breaks down how Boot Barn is tackling one of retail’s hardest challenges: scaling deep, technical product knowledge across 500+ stores—without losing credibility on the floor. Instead of relying on generic chatbots, Boot Barn built a custom AI “associate” designed to know the difference between looking right and being right—especially when safety, compliance, and performance matter. Key Insights: - AI is only as good as what it knows. Boot Barn uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to ground AI in real product specs, safety standards, and brand knowledge—reducing hallucinations and increasing trust where it matters most. - The real unlock isn’t AI—it’s humans training it. Professional copywriters aren’t being replaced—they’re evolving into AI trainers, shaping how the system communicates and ensuring the brand voice stays authentic to the Western and workwear cus

Moving Beyond the Buzzwords Unified Commerce isn't a new term, but true execution remains the "Holy Grail" for enterprise retailers. In this episode, Steven Bailey, Partner at EY and Jonathan Aitken, SVP at RADAR, discuss why the gap between vision and reality is still so wide, and how to close it. The Foundation of Real-Time Retail From the friction of in-store returns to the high cost of order cancellations, the duo explores how fragmented data ruins the customer experience. They break down why "throwing AI at the problem" isn't a fix for a broken architectural foundation. Key Insights include: - Journey vs. Channel: Why structural alignment matters more than technology. - The Smart Store: Transitioning physical locations from "sales points" to "intelligence hubs." - Inventory Truth: Why 99%+ accuracy is the non-negotiable starting point for 2026.

The “Connected Store” has moved from concept to operational priority. In this episode, Pauline Monin (Vusion) breaks down how digital shelf technology is transforming physical stores into responsive, data-driven environments. Operational Excellence & Local E-Commerce Automated pricing removes manual processes and reduces errors at scale, allowing store teams to focus on higher-value tasks. At the same time, stores become more effective local fulfilment hubs. With “Flash-to-Pick” LED guidance, associates can follow optimized picking routes, improving speed and consistency for online order fulfilment. The AI & Retail Media Opportunity Through EdgeSense, fragmented in-store data is unified into a single intelligence layer. This enables AI-driven recommendations across pricing and assortment, while also opening the door to in-store Retail Media. Digital displays can measure engagement such as dwell time, giving brands clearer visibility into performance at the shelf.

Recorded live at Shoptalk Spring, this episode of the AiR Podcast tackles the shift from AI experimentation to real-world accountability. Mark Williamson, AVP of Retail Media at Costco Wholesale, joins Kimberly Morgan, CEO of The Fashion Tech Exec and a Top AI Leader, to discuss why Costco is building its technology ecosystem "from the studs up." The Path of Most Resistance While many retailers opt for "plug-and-play" black-box solutions, Williamson explains why Costco is intentionally choosing a more complex, transparent path. By keeping member data behind its own firewall and inviting partners to work natively inside the Costco data cloud, the company eliminates signal loss while upholding its core code of ethics: respect for the member and respect for the supplier. No AI Strategy Without a Data Strategy The conversation centers on the necessity of a modular, interoperable tech stack. Morgan and Williamson explore how this foundation prepares Costco for the era of agentic commerce. By organizing data prop

This podcast features Darko Pavic, CEO at Fiscal Solutions and Michael Zakkour from 5 New Digital, discussing a critical yet overlooked pillar of global expansion: fiscalization. Why Compliance is Your Transaction Architecture: Fiscalization is more than bureaucracy. It is the technical foundation of every global transaction. Darko introduces his new book, The Fiscalization Compliance Maturity Model: To help retailers move from "firefighting" emergencies to a structured, strategic advantage. The 4 Levels of Compliance Maturity: - Level 1 (Reactive): Ad hoc responses and constant emergencies. - Level 2 (Fragmented): Siloed regional teams and high double work costs. - Level 3 (Connected): Shared tools and unified data architectures. - Level 4 (Strategic): Compliance as a high speed growth engine. Whether you are expanding into 5 countries or 50, this session provides a checklist for turning legal risks into a competitive edge. Watch the full interview to future proof your global retail operations.

Most AI projects die in the boardroom because they ignore the person holding the handheld scanner. In this episode, Sharon Gai, Matt Redwood, and Paula Angelucci move past the hype to discuss what actually works on the shop floor. The Pivot from Shiny to Useful Stop starting with the technology. Matt Redwood argues that the most successful AI implementations begin with a specific human frustration. Whether it is identifying non-barcoded produce or managing "dark" areas of the store, the tech must serve the journey. One pilot even saw a 75 percent reduction in shrink, but the real win was the store staff lobbying to keep the tools because they made their jobs easier. Empowering the Artist Paula Angelucci views AI as the ultimate tool for the frontline. By automating the "laundry" of the industry, retailers can finally return to being entertainers and experts. From AI-driven leadership coaching to real-time product insights, the goal is to give associates their time back. Watch the full interview to see how

Your product data wasn't built for AI agents. Here's why that's a problem. In the latest episode of RETHINK Retail's award-winning AiR (AI in Retail) podcast series, host Jamie Tenser sits down with @Anne-Claire Baschet, Chief Data & AI Officer at @Mirakl and a Top AI Leader recognized by RETHINK Retail, to explore the seismic shift happening in retail discovery right now. Anne-Claire brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and strategic vision, from her roots as a Data Scientist at AXA to leading e-commerce platforms at Aramis Group, and now driving AI innovation at Mirakl. As a recognized leader in the AI retail space, she's at the forefront of what she calls the "agentic era" in commerce. The reality check: • 53 million shopping queries happen daily on ChatGPT alone • 60% of shoppers now use AI in their shopping journey • Traditional keyword optimization? It's no longer enough What retailers must do now: ✓ Product data & API infrastructure – Make your catalog AI-responsive, not just mobil

In this episode of the RETHINK Retail podcast, Julia Rogers Vargas, VP and GM, Identification Solutions at Avery Dennison and Sasha Wallinger, contributor at Forbes move past the buzzwords to find the "magic" in the retail grind. The End of the Visible Transaction We are rapidly approaching a "post-transactional" world. As AI bots begin to automate our daily chores, from replenishing diapers to choosing grocery brands, the traditional checkout experience is fading. Sasha and Julia explore why this shift forces a total pivot in marketing: if a bot is making the purchase, a brand’s only survival strategy is a deep, emotional relationship with the human behind the machine. Data as the Non-Negotiable Floor You can't build "magic" on a broken foundation. Julia highlights that while everyone is chasing AI, the real winners are those perfecting their data accuracy through RFID and sensor technology. If the information feeding your digital models is inaccurate, the entire ecosystem collapses. Accurate "track and tr

Liza Amlani (Retail Strategy Group) and Aimee Heuschkel (Lectra) joined RETHINK Retail at NRF to discuss why the industry is currently making too much of the wrong product. The Overdevelopment Crisis Right now, brands are throwing supply at consumers and hoping demand follows. With 81% of retailers struggling to keep up, the result is massive waste and shrinking margins. The fix requires moving from reactive systems to predictive, data-led models. Breaking Down Retail Silos Teams are often "rowing in different directions." Success in 2026 requires bringing design, sourcing, and materials together at the very start of the process. When everyone aligns on business goals rather than siloed targets, efficiency skyrockets. Materials as a Strategic Unlock Instead of fabric being a "service" to design, it should be the starting point. Elevating materials teams reduces waste and simplifies calendars, ensuring your brand is ready for upcoming transparency regulations like Digital Product Passports (DPP). Listen th

Marie Schwartz caught up with MaryLeigh Bliss from Ypulse at NRF to talk Gen Z in 2026. The old marketing playbooks? They’re history. The 20-year trend cycle is over. MaryLeigh explains how social media has created a "firehose" of fragmented trends where Gen Z is nostalgic for everything at once. Whether it’s a 90s reboot or a meme from two weeks ago, the pace is moving faster than most retailers can keep up with. We’re also seeing the rise of the "AI Detective." Gen Z is hunting for glitches and demanding that AI-generated content be clearly labeled. Transparency is now a requirement for trust, which is why brands like Aerie are winning by doubling down on human authenticity. Finally, the "post-social" era has arrived. Follower counts don't guarantee reach anymore, the algorithm is the new gatekeeper. From the "social closet" (dressing up for TikTok but living in sweatpants) to the surprising return of cinema-going, this episode covers exactly how to reach the next generation in 2026. Watch the full inte

In this episode, RETHINK Retail host Marie Schwartz sits down with Jake Randolph and Adel Cruz from LINKED Permanent Jewelry to discuss the explosive growth of experiential retail. Key Highlights: - Experiential Sales: Why "permanent" products are winning on social media. - The AI Advantage: How solo owners use AI to scale marketing and operations. - Future of Retail: A first look at LINKED’s new "no-welding" model for traditional stores. Building 2026 Entrepreneurs From Air Force pilots to estheticians, the permanent jewelry business model is empowering a new wave of retail owners. Discover how simple tech and a "community-first" mindset are redefining the gig economy.

Retailers often chase AI for its own sake instead of solving specific operational problems. In this session of Retailer Tech Tips, Thaddeus Segura from VusionGroup and Guy Courtin from Tecsys discuss how to move past "irrational exuberance" to build an operating model that survives the current industry bifurcation. Key Discussion Points: - The Hardware Flywheel: Intelligence starts at the shelf, using battery-powered cameras to gather necessary AI signals. - Managing Expectations: The industry must move away from "magic beans" toward transparent conversations about AI capabilities. - The Future of Discovery: AI tools are changing how consumers find brands, shifting loyalty from ads to personalized recommendations. - The Omnichannel Hurdle: Traditional safety stock is no longer viable as modern retail demands real-time inventory precisio Are you ready to "bite the bullet" on tech costs now, or will you wait for another budget cycle?

As Shoptalk Spring 2026 approaches, one theme is shaping the conversation across the retail industry: AI is moving from experimentation to real-world application. In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Fritz Finlay speaks with Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights at Shoptalk, about the ideas and trends expected to define this year’s event. Their discussion explores several themes emerging across AI in retail today: - Human-Centric AI As automation expands across retail operations, successful brands are focusing on how technology can enhance, not replace, the human elements of service, connection, and experience. - AI as a Multiplier Rather than asking what roles AI replaces, retailers are increasingly exploring how AI can expand what teams are capable of accomplishing. - From AI Hype to Retail Impact The most valuable AI applications are solving long-standing retail challenges, from merchandising decisions and demand planning to customer engagement and discovery. Joe also shares how these themes

In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Digital Shelf Institute Executive Director Lauren Livak joins Paul Murphy to discuss what’s shaping the next phase of ecommerce, from changing shopper behavior to the growing gap between browsing and buying. They discuss why many digital experiences still struggle to help shoppers make decisions, and what retailers can do differently to better capture attention and support the path to purchase. Key discussion points include: - The Conversion Gap: Why rising site traffic doesn’t always translate into completed purchases. - The “Imagination Gap” in Ecommerce: How visualization and contextual experiences help shoppers understand products in their own environment. Explore the insights shaping the next phase of ecommerce.